Having repaired his mangled body, Black Zetsu quickly used the cover of night to separate Might Guy from the accompanying Konoha Genin.
Meanwhile, Obito successfully stood face-to-face with his former best friend, Kakashi. No words were exchanged, no idle chatter, the two simply collided in silence.
Obito had realized the magnitude of his irreversible mistakes. He couldn't bring himself to face Kakashi, nor did he want his identity exposed. His only goal was to reclaim his eye and continue lurking by Black Zetsu's side to complete his revenge. As for the rest, he no longer cared.
Though Obito's strength had dipped significantly without the Kamui Mangekyo, the White Zetsu cells granted him a more powerful physique, vast chakra, and the ability to manifest Wood Release. After a fierce struggle, he successfully reclaimed his Sharingan from Kakashi and vanished from the scene.
The moment he transplanted the eye back into his socket, Obito felt a different way of utilizing Kamui. However, because Kakashi had used the eye several times, its vision had deteriorated noticeably. But it didn't matter, the White Zetsu cells in the right half of his body could perfectly rectify that.
As he slowly adjusted to the eye that had been away for too long, Black Zetsu stepped out of the darkness and whispered, "Well? Did you succeed?"
"Yeah. I got it." Obito turned, revealing his second Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Good! In that case, let us return to Amegakure immediately and find out exactly what Nagato is up to." With that, the two vanished into the vast night.
On the other side, Might Guy, realizing he had been played, rushed back only to find Kakashi had lost an eye. Without a second thought, he abandoned the mission to Takigakure and raced back to Konoha. He needed to get Kakashi better medical treatment as soon as possible and report the situation to the Hokage.
Just as they pulled out of the Land of Waterfall, Allen's group located the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.
Looking at the cheerful, tanned young girl in the distance, Neji asked with some embarrassment, "Are we really going to extract the Tailed Beast from her?"
"What else? Let the Akatsuki do it? If I extract it, I can at least guarantee she lives. If someone else does it, there's no such promise. Stop wasting time and get moving," Allen urged irritably.
"Fine. Perhaps you're right." Neji sighed softly and blurred forward. Using Gentle Fist at a speed invisible to the naked eye, he instantly floored the two male minders standing by the Jinchuriki.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking my companions?" Fū demanded, her eyes wide.
"My apologies. This might sound out of line, but we need the Seven-Tails inside you," Neji stated his purpose bluntly.
As for the other Takigakure shinobi rushing to help, they were all blocked by Karin and Sasuke. Takigakure was not a major village; it followed an "elite policy," meaning their numbers were the fewest among the hidden villages, though their proportion of Jonin was quite high.
Unfortunately, these Jonin, who possessed neither Kekkei Genkai nor secret arts, were no different from ordinary Chunin or Genin in the eyes of "power-leveled" individuals like Karin and Sasuke. In the blink of an eye, a large group was incapacitated, and some were even killed on the spot.
Seeing the hostile intent, the village leader, a handsome young man, finally stepped forward. Staring at Allen, who stood motionless, he took a deep breath and shouted, "You, the most dangerous man in the shinobi world... what is your purpose in our village? Have you come to destroy us?"
"Don't misunderstand. I have no ill will toward Takigakure. I've only come to take one thing." Allen glanced at the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, his implication clear.
The Takigakure leader's face turned ghastly. "You want the Seven-Tails?"
Allen nodded without hesitation. "Exactly. I sincerely suggest you avoid any irrational behavior. I have a decent impression of Takigakure; if the resistance is too fierce, I'll be forced to kill you all. After all, the profession of 'shinobi' will exit the stage of history sooner or later. A bit earlier or later makes no difference."
"Leader! For the sake of the village, I believe it is time to use that!" an injured Jonin nearby hissed, his face contorted.
"If you're referring to the Hero's Water, I can tell you now that it's useless against me. Some gaps cannot be bridged simply by burning life force to increase chakra reserves," Allen said meaningfully.
"You know of the Hero's Water?" The young leader was visibly shocked. This was one of Takigakure's two greatest secrets; no outsider should know of it. The other secret was, of course, the Earth Grudge Fear created by forbidden jutsu within Kakuzu's body.
"Yes. This world holds no secrets from me. Besides, are you not afraid that what happened to Iwagakure will repeat itself here? Do not test my patience, and certainly do not test the limits of my tolerance. Furthermore, the Tailed Beasts never belonged to you in the first place..."
While Allen spoke, Neji finally subdued the girl hosting the Seven-Tails. This time, he didn't use Gentle Fist, but his Manipulator-type Nen ability. From the girl's dull eyes, it was clear her mind was under 100% control; even the Tailed Beast's massive chakra couldn't help her break free.
"Fū!"
Seeing the Jinchuriki captured, the young leader of Takigakure finally began to panic. Regrettably, the girl named Fū offered no reaction, simply following Neji out of the village.
Watching the group pass through the waterfall and disappear into the depths of the river-laden forest, he ultimately lacked the courage to give chase. Allen had proven more than once that he possessed the power to wipe out a hidden village, and the brief skirmish just now had fully demonstrated the disparity between them.
Rather than risking total annihilation by provoking the man, it was better to swallow the insult and preserve the village's remaining strength. At least this way, Takigakure could endure, rather than being leveled like Iwagakure.
Having the Seven-Tails and its host snatched away in broad daylight was undoubtedly a dark hour for the small Takigakure. Many felt a crushing sense of humiliation and helplessness.
But what could they do? The shinobi world was a place where might made right. When you were weaker than the other party, the only thing you could do was kneel, hand over everything honestly, and pray that after they took what they wanted, they might leave a few scraps behind.